Underwater connecting device

ABSTRACT

A unitary device for making connection to an underwater object to facilitate lifting or moving the latter. The assembly includes a suction cup selectively communicating with a reservoir of air at or below atmospheric pressure (or a pressure less than ambient pressure), and valve means for interconnecting these components after the cup has been placed on the object to be moved, thereby lowering the pressure within the cup and causing the latter to firmly grip the object. The invention device is entirely selfcontained and requires no external equipment for its operation.

United States Patent Haynes et-al.

s] 3,704,679 [451 Dec. 5, 1972 1541 UNDERWATER CONNECTING DEVICE Filed:

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 359,763 2/1906 France ..114/51 Primary Examiner-Trygve M. Blix Attorney-Richard S. Sciascia, Q. Baxter Warner and Howard J. Murry, Jr.

[221 Nov. 5, 1970 [57] ABSTRACT I 21] APPL 37,0 0 A unitary device' for making connection to an underwater object to facilitate lifting or moving the latter. The assembly includes a suction cup selectively [52] U.S. Cl ..114/51 communicating with a reservoir of air at or below 'mospheric pressure a pressure less than ambient 1 d 0 Sean "f "114/16 206 5] pressure), and valve means for interconnecting these components after the cup has been placed on the oh- [561 References cued 1 ject to be moved, thereby lowering the pressure within UNITED STATES PATENTS the cup and causing the latter to firmly grip the object. The invention device is entirely self-contained and 3,587,506 6/1971 Thompson ..114/51 requires no external equipment for its operation 2,347,491 4/1944 Lente ..l14/51 3,354,856 11/1967 Annibale ..1 14/51 5 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures /0 2 j /2 /6 T 26 4o A? l I l .1 UNDERWATER CONNECTING DEVICE STATEMENT OF GOVERNMENT INTER ST The invention described herein may. be manufactured and used by or for The Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

BACKGROUNDOF THE INVENTION process. One particularly. troublesome problem has been themaking of a mechanical connection to the object of interest so that a line maybe employed to raise the object or bring it to anew position. If the object is composed of ferrous material, a magnet is often useful, and, if some abrasion or other surface damage can be tolerated, belts or pins find general application. Conventio'nal suction cups have only limited utility and can not always be depended upon since the attaching force is only directly proportional to the appliedload and the maximum force dependent on the manner'in which it was attached. Manipulators on small submersibles have been employed in some cases but only where the object is light in weight and'has a projection which can conveniently be handled by a diver and readily attached to an underwater object such as a disabled submarine, lost hydrogen bomb, or large piece of construction material terest can be raised or shifted to a new position, following which a quick disconnection of the attaching means is effected without the necessity of removing ropes, cables or other standard cradling equipment.

As set forth herein, the invention assembly in one embodiment is made up of a cup-shaped member designed to envelop a portion of the surface'of the object to be moved, such member having a deformable lip to effect a water-tight seal, and a reservoir of air at or below atmospheric pressure or less than ambient pressure. A manually-operable valve selectively connects the air reservoir to the cup-shaped member. When the latter is placed over the objectto be moved, the water therewithin is at ambient pressure. Opening the valve reduces the interior pressure of the cup to that of the reservoir, and'the pressure differential with respect to the water outside the cup causes the device to securely grip the object. Subsequent venting of the cup eliminates the pressure differential and allows ready removal of the device from the object to which it was attached.

STATEMENT OF THE oBJECTs OF TH v INVENTION Another object of the invention is to provide a device for establishing a connection to an underwater object through the establishment of a pressure differential with respect to the ambient fluid.

A further object of the invention is to provide forthe securing-of an attaching device to an underwater object through the equalization of an unbalance between'a reservoir of air at or below atmospheric pressure, or less than ambient pressure, and a chamber of fluid at ambientpressure.

, A still further object of the invention is to provide a device so configured as to be readily grasped by an operator underwater and easily transferred from one position to another. v I

Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction. with the accompanying drawings wherein: v

BRIEE DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a plan view of an underwater connecting device designed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention; v FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the device of FIG. 1 taken along the line 2-2; I

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the device of FIG. 2 taken along the line 3-3; and 1 1 I FIG. 4 is a sectional view of an alternative design for the cup of FIGS. 1 and 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings, there is shown an underwater connecting device made up of three components each of which constitutes an essential part of the inventive concept. These parts are (l) a tank or reservoir of air initially at atmospheric pressure'or less, (2) a cup or chamber designed to lie on the surface of the object .to be lifted or moved, such cup or chamber being initially filled with water at ambient pressure, and (3) aninitially closed valve interconnecting the. tank and cup, this valve being manually operable to open position to produce the gripping action desired.

In the drawings, the connector 10 comprises the air tank or reservoir'zl2, which, as illustrated, is in the form of a toroid. having four inwardly projecting tubular spokes l4, 16, 18 and 20, these'spokes acting as supports for an axially positioned manifold 22 in'the form of a hollow cylinder having a closed upper end and an open lower'end as viewed in FIG. 2 of the drawings. The spokes l4, 16, 18 and 20 are secured to both the tank 12 and the manifold 22 by some preferred method such as welding. The toroidal shape of the tank 12 is such that it can readily be grasped by a diver even though he may be wearing heavy gloves.

The spokes 16 and 20 may be closed at one or both ends so as optionally to have open communication with either the tank 12 or manifold 22. Spoke 14, however, has an open passageway 24 betweensuch components, and in this passageway 24 is located a three-way manually-operable valve 26 which can be actuated to (I) close the passageway 24 between .tank 12 and manifold 22, (2) open such passageway 24, or (3) vent the manifold 22 to the exterior of unit 10 through a port 28. The valve 26 and port 28 form part of a unit 30 5 installed on the spoke 14, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings. As will later appear, the tank 12 may be re-charged after underwater operations have resulted in a pressure rise therein to a point where establishment of a suitable pressure differential between tank 12 and cup 36 is no longer possible; with valve 26 open the device may be placed in the atmosphere or a vacuum supply line (not shown) attached to spoke l4. y

Spoke 18 is shown closed at its point of attachment to manifold 22, as illustrated in FIG. 2. However, itis open to tank 12, and a pressure gauge 32 is carried thereby to indicate at all times to an individual utilizing the unit 10 the pressure condition within tank 12.

Threadably attached to the open end of manifold 22,

as brought out in FIG. 2, and sealed by means of a gasket member 34, is a bell-shaped cup 36 designed to be placed on the surface of the underwater object to be OPERATION The invention device is placed in condition for use by opening valve 26 and venting the tank 12 to air at atmospheric pressure, or less than atmospheric pressure. This is usually carried out before the assembly is taken below the surface of the ocean or other body of water where it is to be utilized. However, it can also be accomplished within a submersible or other undersea vehicle. In some cases it may be necessary to have a lower tank pressure, in which case the port 28 may be attached to a hose leading to a vacuum pump in order to exhaust the tank 12 to a degree 'of pressure less than atmospheric. This may be required, for example, where working only a short distance below the ocean surface, where the pressure differential would ordinarily be too small for efficient operation. After the tank 12 is thus properly conditioned, the valve 26 is closed and the device is ready for use.

When the unit has been brought to the vicinity of an underwater object to be moved, the cup 36 is placed on the surface of the object and the valve 26 actuated to establish communication between cup 36 and tank 12 through passageway 24. Since the tank 12 contains air at atmospheric pressure (or below) and the cup 36 is filled with water at ambient pressure, opening of valve 26 reduces the pressure of the water within cup 36 and slightly raises the pressure of the air within tank 12 mately 600 feet depth in the ocean Cup Diameter 6 in. v Cup Area =28.3 in.

Ambient Pressure 300 psi Atmospheric Pressure 0 psi Pressure Differential (P) (300-0) 300 Attaching Force (P) X (A) 8,500 lbs. 7

The connecting device can be removed underwater by actuating valve 26 to close the passageway 24 between tank 12 and cup 36. The valve is then further actuated to connect cup 36 to the open sea through port 28. Pressure within cup 36 is thereby increased to ambient value and the differential between interior and exterior fluids disappears. Therefore, no force holds the cup on the object and it is readily removed.

The connecting device of the invention can be used repeatedly underwater without the reservoir of air in tank 12 becoming depleted; When the valve 26 is actuated to connect the tank with the interior of cup 36, seawater within the cup expands in volume as its pressure reduces to atmospheric however, water is nearly incompressible, sothat its increase in volume is small compared to the large volume of air in the tank. Change of pressure in the tank is negligible because air is highly compressible.

Eventually, after many cycles of operation, water will nearly fill tank 12, and the pressure within the tank will increase. Gauge 32 warns the operator when the tank pressure rises so high that the device will not function properly.

When water does fill tank 12, the device is brought to the surface, or to the inside of a submersible, and valve 26 is actuated to vent tank 12 to the atmosphere through port 28. After the entrapped water is drained from the tank, the unit is ready for re-use underwater.

The invention device has many advantages over expressure before any load is applied to the connector,

while a suction cup generates the pressure differential only as the load is applied. This different means of developing the pressure differential is critically important when considering the force capacity that the con-. nector possesses to resist a horizontally applied load (or horizontal component of loading). Suction cup sliding and friction resistance is proportional to the attaching force; therefore, the suction cup has a low resistance to sliding with small applied loads. The disclosed connector has a known or predictable resistance to sliding because the attaching force is constant and of maximum value. Before the connector is used for a particular application, estimates of the attaching force can be made because the depth of operation will be known. Appropriate factors of safety can be applied to the connectors lifting capacity. Also, maximum values of lifting capacity can be ascribed for various angles of applied load to prevent sliding or overturning of the connector. Overturning moment is dependent on the geometry of the connector; therefore, for best resistance to overturning, the ring 40 should be as close to the object as possible.

The following example will illustrate the horizontal sliding resistance developed at 600 feet by a 6 inch diameter cup 36 with a rubber sealing gasket 38. The object is steel. 2 Friction Coefficient F p.N N= 8,500 lbs from previous calculation F 2,550 lbs known horizontal resistance. For any angle between horizontal and the normal the following equation gives the maximum load (L) L= 2550/ (cos 0 0.3 sin 0) where angle 0 is measured from the horizontal.

When compared to mechanical connectors such as bolts and pins, the invention device has the advantage in that no holes or welds need be made in the object when the latter is used. Often an object is ruined or disabled when mechanical attachments are employed.

When compared with a magnet, the invention connector can be attached to any type of non-porous material, while a magnet is restricted to ferrous materials. Also, when a magnet begins to lose its magnetism, it is difficult to recharge, whereas when the disclosed connector loses its reservoir of atmospheric pressure, it can be recharged by being brought to the surface or attached to a source of vacuum.

Magnets, suction cups and mechanical connectors all have the disadvantage that they are negatively buoyant; thus, they are difficult to handle underwater. The disclosed connector may be so designed that the tank displaces sufficient water to make the connector neutrally buoyant, allowing for easy underwater handling.

Many different construction materials and design configurations may be used for the undersea pressure differential connector herein described. Although the least corrosive metals (such as brass and titanium) are the most appropriate materials to use, others such as aluminum, various steels, composite materials and ceramics are feasible. The material for the sealing gasket 38 will vary according to the surface condition of the objects to be handled, usually being rubber or plastic.

The disclosed connector may have any shape as long as the cup, valve, and tank operate as described above. For objects of unusual configurations, the cup edges can be fabricated to conform to the curvature. For objects of various sizes or weights, various size cups can be used, or many cups can be connected in parallel or series to the tank.

The air tank can be toroidal as shown or may take any shape cylindrical, spherical, or even hookshaped for more easy handling. The tank can also be the interior of any air chamber at atmospheric pressure, such as the interior of a submersible. The tank may be designed so that its configuration would replace the ring 40; lines and clamps may be attached directly to the air reservoir if the tank design is sufficiently sturdy. Specially designed fittings for undersea construction equipment or submersibles can also be used in place of the ring per se.

The valve 26 is the only moving mechanism in the connector. The one which has been described is a three-way valve; one which (1) closes all vents, (2) opens a vent between the cup and tank, or (3) opens one between the cup and sea or atmosphere. However, two separate valves can be used if desired; one valve being placed between the cup and the tank and another between the interior and exterior of the cup 36. A safety device or mechanism can be connected to the two-valve system to prevent an accidental opening of a vent between the tank and sea while the connector is in operation. Remote-control valves, electro-mechanical, magnetic, and hydraulically controlled valves can be employed, especially when the connector is operated from a submersible.

The gauge 32 has been illustrated and described as measuring the pressure within tank 12. However, it is possible to substitute therefor a differential gauge acting to measure the difference between such tank pres-- sure and ambient pressure. This would convey to the operator information as to how much attaching force is available as compared to that known to be required for effective functioning of the device. Also, it would enable the operator to actuate the valve 26 only enough to achieve the minimum attaching forcenecessary, and not waste excessive tank capability beyond that required.

Some form of safety catch may be incorporated in the mechanism of valve 26 so as to preclude inadvertent or unintentional actuation thereof by the operator of the invention device. Many such arrangements are well known in the art.

As an additional feature, air reservoir 12 may be divided into two sections, as shown in FIG. 1, by solid dividers represented by the broken lines 41 and 42. A valve 43, also shown partly in broken lines, connects these two sections. Under normal operations valve 43 is closed and only one air reservoir is used. If by accident or by extensive usage this reservoir becomes sufficiently filled with water so that insufficient pressure differential is developed, valve 43 is opened connecting the two sections; the air at atmospheric pressure in the newly connected section equalizes pressure with that in the other and results in the entire tank 12 being at near atmospheric pressure. Such re-charging" permits continued use of the connector before it requires re-charging in the atmosphere.

Gauge 32 is so calibrated that, for a particular cup 36 with area A, the gauge 32 indicates the attaching force. A different gauge is calibrated for each'different cup used.

The cup 36 has been shown as bell-shaped; it may be any convenient shape which is sufficiently strong to resist the pressure differential between the exterior and interior of the cup. A flat disc shape 36a as shown in FIG. 4 may be superior by reducing an overturning movement created by a horizontal force. Various cups may be interchanged to provide different cup areas so that the attaching force can be controlled at prescribed depths.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

We claim: i

l. A self-contained object manipulating device which can be detachably secured to an underwater object comprising:

a chamber having an open face for engagement with an object; said chamber having a cup shaped portion being removable for interchanging various size cups whereby various surface shapes and areas may be accommodated;

a reservoir of air at or below atmospheric pressure;

said reservoir being a toroidally shaped tank atis a differential gauge adapted to measure the difference between the reservoir pressure and ambient pressure whereby the amount of attaching force available may be determined.

4. The device of claim 2 wherein said reservoir is divided into two sections whereby a reserve air supply is provided to recharge the main section of the reservoir.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein said valve is a threeway valve operable to'open or close the passageway or vent the chamber. 

1. A self-contained object manipulating device which can be detachably secured to an underwater object comprising: a chamber having an open face for engagement with an object; said chamber having a cup shaped portion being removable for interchanging various size cups whereby various surface shapes and areas may be accommodated; a reservoir of air at or below atmospheric pressure; said reservoir being a toroidally shaped tank attached to said chamber by a plurality of rigid spokes with one of said spokes acting as a passageway between the reservoir and the chamber; a valve means in said passageway for controlling the the flow of air between the reservoir and the chamber.
 2. The device of claim 1 wherein a pressure gauge is attached to the reservoir to indicate the maximum safe pressure.
 3. The device of claim 2 wherein said pressure gauge is a differential gauge adapted to measure the difference between the reservoir pressure and ambient pressure whereby the amount of attaching force available may be determined.
 4. The device of claim 2 wherein said reservoir is divided into two sections whereby a reserve air supply is provided to recharge the main section of the reservoir.
 5. The device of claim 4 wherein said valve is a three-way valve operable to open or close the passageway or vent the chamber. 